Who Is Clay Harbor, the Beloved Bachelor In Paradise Star?

ABC's "Bachelor in Paradise" - Season Six

(Image credit: John Fleenor)

published 9 August 2019

Spoilers for Bachelor in Paradise season six ahead. Clay Harbor, who's well-known to Bachelor Nation and is much-loved by them, is getting his second chance at love in this season's Bachelor in Paradise. It already looks like he's trying to stay out of trouble and find a connection, but there's still time for alll that drama to come his way. Clay was also a part of Becca's Bachelorette season, and lots of people love him. We'll see so much of Clay going forward, and I am here for it. What do we know about him?

He's a former football player.

Clay played at Missouri State, then was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. He also was a member of the Patriots, Patriots, Saints, and Lions, and is now a free agent.

Sooo that's where all those lovely muscles come from (#sorrynotsorry).

A post shared by Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82)
A photo posted by on

It might have been edited, but there was a long shot of Clay exercising on the beach and the various ladies drooling over him. Same, ladies.

When you have a front row seat to the smoke show 🏋️‍♂️😍 #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/YykVuRjRpOAugust 7, 2019

He was on Becca's season.

Clay had to leave due to a wrist injury that required surgery (he was still a full-time player at the time), and Becca was devastated to see him go. Clay fans speculate that Becca's season would have turned out very differently if he had stayed. He was sweet, and so respectful, and he made an impression right away even though he left after three episodes.

He dated a fellow Bachelor alum.

As has already been mentioned on the show (Annaliese, WYD), Clay dated Angela Amezcua. He was honest about the relationship in his intro, saying she just wasn't his person, but Annaliese said he'd been leading Angela on since they broke up. He isn't there for the right reasons, according to her.

A post shared by Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82)
A photo posted by on

Spoiler alert: Angela's about to come on the show, and things might get majorly awkward. At least...we'll get her side of the story?

He and Nicole Lopez-Alvar are connecting.

Clay asked Nicole out on a date, and they clearly loved the experience. Clay basically told Nicole that his first rose was hers, and she's absolutely into it.

One other intriguing thing is that if Clay doesn't end up finding love from this season, he could potentially be a strong contender for Bachelor 2020. The race is already tight with contestants from 2019, but producers do often pick from previous seasons. Depending on Clay's edit and how he and Nicole fare, he could absolutely be an intuitive pick. BiP brings the crazy, but it can also remind you that some of these guys are really sweet.

Here's everything we know about this season, including what we know about Clay and Nicole's journey on the show.

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.